Heritage Tours to Europe

There are also several companies that will help clients perform a genealogy research and then take them on a journey of discovery. Ancestral Attic offers customized tours of any size to Eastern Europe and Poland designed around a client’s particular needs. They’ll tailor each experience so clients can visit local archives or civil offices, perhaps help them locate documents in their country of ancestry and paint a better picture of their families’ past while allowing for plenty of down time for cultural immersion. While the tours section of the company will arrange a memorable trip for them—including accommodations and transportation—while offering you 12 percent commission, their expert genealogists can jump in beforehand by conducting document searches, assisting with translations and even helping to track down long-lost relatives. Because each tour is individualized, prices are dependent on each client’s wishes.

Artisans of Leisure offers private tours of Spain, Portugal, Italy and Central Europe that focus on Jewish heritage and assists clients by putting them in touch with local religious leaders, historians and other experts to help them navigate their ancestry. Jewish Heritage: Italy, priced at $18,535 pp dbl, is a 14-day peek into one of Europe’s oldest Jewish populations with a hefty dose of luxury included. Clients enjoy a glimpse of Jewish influence in local history, art and architecture while visiting Ferrara, Venice, Pisa, Livorno, Siena, Porto Ercole and Rome. Clients will get the chance to visit former Jewish ghettoes and cemeteries, explore the history of Jews in Florence and their relationship with the Medici family, visit the town of Pitigliano (also known as “Little Jerusalem” for its strong Jewish heritage) and lots more.

Those wanting to delve into their Jewish ancestry without the need for on-location research can choose from a variety of heritage tours designed to provide a glimpse into a people’s experience within a particular region.

Arza World has an array of Jewish heritage tours throughout Western and Eastern Europe, including The Essence of Eastern Europe, which starts at $5,389 pp dbl. The 12-day trip offers a snapshot of Jewish life in the region before, during and after World War II with overnight stays in Warsaw, Krakow, Bratislava, Budapest and Prague. The rich itinerary includes guided visits through Jewish Prague and the Warsaw Ghetto, a Shabbat dinner with members of the Jewish community in Budapest, stops at Auschwitz and Terezin and a visit to the Okapova Cemetery, one of the oldest Jewish burial grounds in the world.

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